Books by Richard Wright

Richard Wright: Early Works  / Black Boy  / Native Son  / Uncle Tom's Children / 12 Million Black Voices  / Richard Wright: Later Works

The Outsider  /  Pagan Spain /  Black Power  /  White Man Listen!  / The Color Curtain /  Savage Holiday / The Long Dream

Eight Men: Short Stories  / Haiku / American Hunger / Lawd Today!

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Letter 30

ARMY SERVICE FORCES 

Chicago Signal Depot 

1903 West Pershing Road 

Chicago 9, Illinois 

June 1, 1945 

Dear Bruce, 

I received your wonderful little book and I thought it -- as always a wonderful piece of work. Thank you.

Guess what? I went to the Regal theater to see Duke Ellington in person and guess who I saw in the All-American Newsreel? None other than our friend, Dr. Buggs. The announcer said Buggs is the only Negro at Wayne University.

About two weeks ago Walter White spoke at Du Sable High School that's just 2 blocks away from my house. I wanted to go but the advertisement did not state that the public was invited and gave no time. I phoned operator but she said they were not allowed to give out the high school's phone number . . . the weather was bad, so I didn't take a chance on going.

Rev. Clayton Powell also spoke there sometimes ago. I was working nights then and couldn't go. 

I did manage to see Paul Robeson in the stage play "Othello" though. He was Great!

I also made it a point to see Helen Hayes, in the stage play "Harriet." She was perfect! And . . . I also saw Katheryne Dunham and her troupe in "A Tropical Revue." I don't have to tell you that was the greatest thing I have ever seen since I have been there. She played at the Studbaker Theater.

Duke Ellington gave a concert at the Opera House, again I was working nights and missed him.

Last week Richard Wright took part on the Town Hall meeting. They discussed the Race Problem. Wright was good, but I was a little disappointed in the tone of his voice. Maybe it's his southern accent. . . . I don't know. He was very good though. Did you hear him or did the program get through.

One man, I presume he was white, asked Wright about Negro Psychology. Wright told him, he knew of no such animal. He received a big hand.

How are you getting along at Dillard and how is the book coming along? Give my regards to Willie, Sister, Ben, and all the folks, 

Sincerely, 

Ruth

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Two years later he published Native Son, which became a Book of-the-Month choice.

Uncle Tom's Children. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1938; HarperCollins, 1993.

Native Son. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1940; HarperCollins, 1993.

The Outsider. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1953; HarperCollins, 1993.

Savage Holiday. New York: Avon Books, 1954; Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1994.

The Long Dream New York: Doubleday, 1958.

Eight Men. Cleveland: World, 1961.

Lawd Today! New York: Avon Books, 1963; Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1993.

Rite of Passage. New York: Harper Collins, 1994.

NonFiction

Twelve Million Black Voices. New York: Viking Press, 1941. 

Black Boy. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1945; HarperCollins, 1993. 

Black Power. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1954. T

The Color Curtain. Cleveland: World, 1954; Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1994. 

Pagan Spain. New York: Harper & Row, 1957. 

White Man, Listen! New York: Doubleday, 1957. 

American Hunger. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.

Poetry

Haiku: This Other World. Eds. Yoshinobu Hakatuni and Robert L. Tener. Arcade, 1998.